The present invention is directed to a fiber opening device or a fiber opening and cleaning device, which may be used in combination with fiber cleaning and fiber blending, machines.
Fiber opening as well as fiber opening and cleaning machines are well known in the textile industry. Universally, the opening rolls and main rolls are arranged in vertical stacks and the fibers are fed along substantially horizontal paths into these rolls.
The instant invention has as an object the utilization of gravity for delivering the fibers to and away from the opening rolls and the main roll.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a fiber opening or a fiber opening and cleaning device in which the rolls may be controlled to operate in the same or in opposed directions.
Another object of the invention is a fiber opening or a fiber opening and cleaning device in which mote knives are employed to assist in the fiber cleaning and blending.
Another object of the invention is a fiber opening or a fiber opening and cleaning device in which the machine may perform a normal operation, i.e. soft opening or an intensive opening operation.
Another object of the invention is an opening and cleaning device in which mote knives co-operate with both an opening roll and the main roll to dislodge waste and loose trash, to help open the fibers and to remove broken or fused fibers.
Another object of the invention is the provision of a fiber conditioning device which operates to open fibers to the stage of a single fiber.
The invention is directed to an opener for opening and cleaning fibers, which includes a feed section, and an opening station located beneath the feed section. The opening station includes a cabinet having an inner chamber, a waste removal chamber and a fiber web removal unit. The inner chamber contains on one side a doffing roll and on an opposed side a containment collecting area. First and second opening rolls are respectively arranged beneath the doffing roll and the containment area with a main roll located beneath and between the opening rolls. The waste removal chamber and the fiber web removal unit are arranged beneath the main roll. The arrangement provides that fibers delivered into the inner chamber are acted on by primarily a first of the opening rolls which creates a tumbling action in which contaminants comprising trash, broken fibers and dust are dislodged and deposited onto said containment receiving area while fibers picked up by a second of the opening rolls are doffed onto the main roll forming a fiber web for delivery to the fiber web removal section.
The doffing roll, the opening rolls and the main roll may be controlled to rotate in a common first direction. Alternatively, the opening rolls may be controlled to operate in a different direction from the main roll.
A triangular shaped divider is located adjacent the peripheral surface of the opening rolls and the main roll creating passageways between the divider and each surface of the first and second opening rolls. The divider is adjustably positioned so that the size of the opening may be adjusted to control the airflow through the passageways to the desired volumes.
The opening rolls and the main roll are horizontally arranged with the opening rolls being adjacent each other and the main roll located beneath and between the opening rolls.
The inner chamber includes a first wall forming a channel about the upper outer periphery of the second opening roll, and a second wall forming a channel along the lower periphery of the second opening roll and the upper outer periphery of the main roll. An opening between opposed ends the first and second walls forms a duct for waste removal from fibers picked up and carried by the second opening roll along the channel. A mote knife is arranged in the opening adjacent the second wall. The mote knife acts to assist in the removal of broken fibers and trash into the duct and away from the fibers engaged with the opening roll and moving toward the main roll. The mote knife also assists with fiber opening.
The inner chamber is formed in sections. A first section or quadrant capable of carrying the doffing roll and an opening roll, is removably attached with the housing. This section when removed allows access into the chamber, the doffing roll, the opening rolls and the main roll.
The inner chamber includes a wall extending adjacent an outer upper periphery of the main roll and about an outer periphery of the first opening roll. This wall forms a channel between itself and the roll peripheries. An air doffer is arranged adjacent the lower end of this wall forming a fiber removal section.
The waste removal section is arranged beneath the main roll and includes an opening in which a plurality of mote knives is provided. The mote knives act to dislodge waste, loose or broken fibers and dust from the fiber web and also helps in opening unopened fibers.
The opening machine includes a feed station having a pre-opening section with a fiber receiving station arranged beneath the feed station. The receiving station includes a chamber which includes a pair of substantially parallel and horizontally disposed opening rolls, and a waste receiving area. A main roll is located beneath and between the opening rolls.
A first wall forms a channel about the outer peripheries of a first opening roll and the main roll. Second and third walls form a channel about the outer peripheries of the second opening roll and the main roll. There are provided first and second waste removal openings, each of which contains at least one mote knife. In operation, the opening rolls engage the incoming fibers, creating a tumbling action, which dislodges contaminants which include trash, broken fibers, dust, etc., to the containment receiving area. Fibers picked up by a first opening roll are doffed onto the second opening roll and carried past the first waste removal opening, where further opening occurs as trash and broken fibers are removed. The fibers engaged with the opening roll are carried into position to be doffed onto the main roll where they are then carried past the second waste removal opening. Here trash and broken fibers are again removed and the fibers are further opened. The fibers are then doffed from the main roll and removed from the opening machine for further processing.
An opener for opening and cleaning fibers which includes a cabinet having a feed opening, an inner chamber, a waste removal chamber and a fiber web removal unit. A fiber feed is arranged above the opening for feeding fibers by gravity into the chamber. A pair of horizontal opening rolls are arranged parallel and adjacent each other in the lower area of the chamber. A main roll is located beneath, parallel, and between the various opening rolls. A plurality of channels is formed between the rolls and the walls of the cabinet. Openings formed in certain of these walls form the channel, which provide access to the waste removal areas. Each of these openings has a mote knife mounted therein.
A fiber removal channel or area is located beneath the main roll. Fibers fed into the channel on the main roll are removed into the fiber removal unit and removed for processing.
The cabinet includes a removable quadrant, which may carry an opening roll and a doffing roll. The quadrant along with one of an opening roll and the main roll form a first channel.
The opening rolls and the main roll may be covered with wire angled in the same direction. Alternatively, the wire on at least certain of the rolls may be angled in a direction opposite that of the adjacent roll.